Don’t head out your front door without your cabinet door when you go countertop shopping. A sample made all the difference on a recent trip to the showroom. With a custom-cherry flat slab in hand, a designer helped his client quickly settle on a grayish limestone cousin with distinctive veining and a soft patina. The client found she was willing to trade some durability for what she felt was the perfect complement to her new cabinets.
Look
If you prefer:
Then choose:
Manmade materials
Laminate, solid surface, stainless steel, or concrete
Natural materials
Stone, tile, or wood
Consistent color
Plastic laminate, solid surface, or stainless steel
A speckled or veined appearance
Stone
Integral sinks
Solid surface, stainless steel, or concrete
A textured feel
Tile or concrete
Decorative edge treatments
Solid surface, wood, laminate, or concrete
A statement-making backsplash
Tile
Needs
If you need to:
Then choose:
Dice, chop, and slice
Any stone or wood
Roll dough and make pastries
Marble, another stone, or stainless steel
Set down hot stuff
Any stone, tile, stainless steel, or concrete
Spill without staining or having to first apply sealants
Solid surface, engineered quartz, or stainless steel
Perform little or no maintenance
Laminate, solid surface, or stainless steel
Protect kids and the elderly
Any material with the corners rounded
Budget
- Price depends on: - Quality and type of material
- Difficulty of installation
- Edge treatment material and design
- Backsplash material and design
To help determine the perfect countertop for you, consult the pros and cons chart shown below.
